Brussels, 25/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 25 February, the European Union determined to delay until a later date its decision on sanctions against Canada, which continues to require that Czech nationals have a visa to enter the country. Canada abolished visas for Czech visitors in 2007, before re-instituting the requirement in July 2009 after an explosion in the number of political asylum requests. Most of these requests were made by members of the Roma minority who claimed discrimination (see EUROPE 9982). The Czech Republic accused the European Commission of not giving it enough support against the Canadian measure. “I appeal to the principle of solidarity. It is the first case in which visas have been imposed on an EU country,” complained Czech Home Affairs Minister Martin Pecina on the sidelines of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels. “I was surprised that none of the old members voiced a position”, with the exception of the Spanish Presidency. Pecina said that the Czechs had been backed by the Hungarians, Slovakians, Bulgarians, Romanians and the Spanish Presidency. Spanish Home Affairs Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba tried to temper these criticisms. “All EU countries stand behind the Czech Republic which is being affected by an unreasonable decision by Canada,” he said in the press conference. Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said that the Commission, contrary to what the Czechs had claimed, was being “very active” on this issue. She pointed out that Canada had been asked to take two kinds of measure to alleviate these restrictions. Firstly, it had to open a visa office in Prague. This had been done on 21 December 2009, the Commissioner said. The second step was to prepare a roadmap for the complete abolition of visas. Malmström said that an expert meeting was scheduled with Canada on 15 March. “We will have to await the outcome of this meeting. We hope that it will be possible to find a solution and that we will not have to impose a visa requirement on Canadians,” she said, going on, “We hope things will not come to that. But, if there is no other solution, the Commission is prepared to take that action”. (B.C./transl.rt)